The Rest Is Classified 54. Bin Laden vs the CIA: 9/11 (Ep 4)
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Jun 10, 2025 On a fateful September morning, the meticulously planned 9/11 attacks exposed America's surprising vulnerabilities. Discover the behind-the-scenes dynamics among Osama bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and the Al-Qaeda operatives chosen for this horrific mission. The intelligence failures and miscommunications leading up to the attacks reveal a somber narrative of missed warnings. As chaos ensued on that day, contrasting responses in Afghanistan highlight the grim celebration of tragedy, setting the stage for a relentless decade-long hunt for the mastermind behind it all.
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Bin Laden's Bulldozer Analogy
- Osama bin Laden favored using passenger planes as weapons over small explosive aircraft.
- He told KSM to use a bulldozer instead of an axe to maximize impact.
Strategic Warnings Without Details
- The U.S. received extensive strategic warnings before 9-11 but lacked specific attack details.
- This created a failure to act decisively due to incomplete intelligence on the plot.
Missed Aviation Security Fixes
- US aviation security recommendations post-TWA Flight 800 crash were not fully implemented.
- Implementation might have hindered hijack attempts like 9-11.
